Are Your Children at Risk for a Playground Injury?

With the summer upon us, and the majority of schools having let out for the summer months, more and more people will be heading outside to local playgrounds to have a relaxing morning or afternoon. While spending the day at the local park can be enjoyable and allow everyone to get some exercise, unfortunately sometimes these days can turn disastrous very quickly. According to the National Playground Safety Institute, there are over 200,000 children taken to the emergency room every year, due to playground related accidents. Additionally, around 45% of playground accidents are considered to be serious injuries. Some of these serious injuries include: fractured bones, head trauma injuries including concussions, and spinal cord injuries. Lastly, close to 75% of these serious injuries occur on public playgrounds in public parks.

Some of the injuries that take place on playground equipment can be easily avoided. A lot of the injuries occur due to lack of supervision. At all times when children are on the playground, there needs to be adult supervision from a parent, teacher or daycare worker, or an adult in charge of watching a child. Next, defective playground equipment also plays a large role in playground accidents. The majority of the defects are simply the lack of a safe surface surrounding the playground equipment. This could be a padded mat, soft sand, mulch, or even a recycled rubber surface. Other defects could include screws or bolts that are not attached properly or bolts that are sticking out, causing a sharp edge. All of these safeguards need to be put in place before any children play on playground equipment. It is up to an adult to inspect the equipment and make sure everything is done properly. If an adult makes sure the equipment is safe for the children to play on, many of these serious injuries will be prevented and everyone will have a good time spending a day in the park.

If your child has been injured on a playground, contact us today to learn about your rights and how to ensure you get any compensation you are entitled to.